By Jyoti Sharma
This past summer Mr.Smiley took his annual trip to Europe with 10 students from Chamblee. Some of the students that took this excursion to Europe included Amanda Levi, Suzanne Barner, Aaliyah Shafiq, and Jennifer Sturdivant. Many of the students traveled with their parents.
The trip began with a drive to the airport on July 3. The flight lasted about a day, and when the plane landed, the students and Smiley found themselves in Rome. There they saw the Vatican, and some of Michelangelo’s finest works. From there they traveled to Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Next, this fine group of Chamblee students went to Florence. Once again they spent the day looking at some of Europe’s best artwork. While in Florence, they found their way into a Disco. I was informed that our lovely ladies were pursued by several young men while they danced the night away… even Smiley. The city of Nice came next. There the group had a day of fun in the sun at Nice’s lovely, revealing beaches.
After the trip to the beach, the students went to Monte Carlo, the richest city in the world. They walked around for a while, then went to a restaurant for dinner. This particular dinner turned out to be quite entertaining because there was a festival going on at the time. People were singing, dancing, and playing music out on the street. Not only did they have entertainment out on the street, but they had lots of loud Italian people inside to keep them laughing.
The group’s final stop was Paris. There they saw the Louvre, and the Opera House. Their hotel was at a very central location, so they had no problem sightseeing. Not only that, but the hotel also gave them a spectacular view of the Arc de Triomphe.
As all good things do, this trip came to a close. With a final farewell, the group said goodbye, and boarded their plane. They arrived home on July 12.
I had a chance to talk to Amanda Levi about the trip, and she said, “This trip was a great experience, especially if you are an art lover. I had a lot of fun. You see a lot of cool stuff, and experience a different culture. Smiley commented, “These trips are a lot of fun. Sure, the food is bad, but it’s an experience. You get to see things that you only read about in your history books… it’s really neat.”
If you are interested in going to Europe this coming summer, stop by and talk to Smiley. The trip will last 15 days this summer from June 17 to July 1. Smiley plans to visit London, Paris, Versailles, Florence and many other cities. The cost is approximately mately $2000 per student.
About 4 meetings are held before the trip each year to let you know what’s going on, and what you will be doing. Only 1 meeting has been held so far this year, so it’s not too late to sign up. This trip sounds like a lot of fun, so go sign up with Smiley!